Cat. no. 8166.0 includes key Innovation indicators only and will be released on an annual basis, while cat. no. 8158.0 includes detailed Innovation indicators and will be released on a biennial basis. (For further information see alsoBusiness Characteristics Statistics)

The next issues of cat. no. 8166.0, for the 2006-07 reference period, is expected to be released in late June 2008.

Detailed Innovation indicators will next be released in cat. no. 8158.0 in respect of the 2006-07 reference period. The expected release date is late August 2008.

For further information about the collection and output of Innovation statistics, contact Peter Hodgson, Innovation and Technology Business Statistics Centre, ABS on (08) 9360 5367.

4.1.2 PATTERNS OF INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS, 2005

On 1 November 2007, the ABS published Patterns of Innovation in Australian Businesses, 2005 (ABS cat. no. 8163.0) Using the data collected in the 2005 Innovation Survey, this publication estimates the proportion of Australian businesses undertaking different types of innovation (new goods or services, new operational processes and new organisational processes) and the proportions of innovation novelty (new to the business, new to the industry, new to Australia and new to the world) in 2004 to 2005 calendar years. These estimates have been calculated using industry, business size, age of business, State/territory and degree of foreign ownership dimensions.

Some main findings from the publication were:

The proportion of businesses that undertook one or more of the three types of innovation was around 34% of businesses in the 2004 to 2005 calendar year period.

During the 2004 to 2005 calendar years, South Australia and Western Australia recorded the highest proportions (about 40% and 37% respectively) of innovating businesses. Victoria and Queensland each represented around 34% of innovating businesses. All other States and Territories had around 30% of their businesses identified as innovating.

For further information on the data in the publication please contact Damian O'Rourke on (02) 6252 6895.

4.2 SOME USEFUL RELEASES ON INNOVATION STATISTICS BY OTHER AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN COLLABORATION WITH ABS

4.2.1 PATTERNS OF INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING 2003 ( DEPARTMENT OF INNOVATION, INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH - DIISR, FORMERLY DITR)

Synopsis

This research paper presents an analysis of innovation in Australian manufacturing for the 2001-2003 reference period using micro-level data from the ABS’s 2003 Innovation Survey.

Some of the main results from the publication:

In 2001-03, businesses in the manufacturing sector were, on average, more likely to report introducing an innovation compared with businesses in the non-manufacturing sectors.

The Petroleum, Coal, Chemical & Associated Products and the Machinery & Equipment industries were consistently ranked in the top three manufacturing industries by percentage of innovating businesses, as well as by the percentage of businesses implementing the three classes of innovation (ie goods/services, operational process and organisational process innovation) in 2001-2003.

Based on the analyses, it was identified that manufacturing businesses generally have a higher propensity to implement each of the three classes of innovations than non-manufacturing businesses as a whole.

4.2.2 ASPECTS OF SKILLS SHORTAGES AND INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES (DIISR)

Synopsis

This research paper investigates the incidence of skills shortages that were reported to have hampered innovation in innovating businesses in Australia using micro-data from the ABS 2003 Innovation Survey. It investigates the association between such skills shortages and other key business characteristics such as size, ownership, industry, location, age, and type of skill generally sought.

According to the analyses, smaller innovating businesses were more likely to experience skills shortages which hampered innovation (SSHI) than those affecting larger businesses. In addition, domestically owned businesses were identified as being more likely to experience skills shortages hampering innovation than those businesses with a degree of foreign ownership.

The proportion of ‘frontier’ innovating businesses – i.e. those with new to the world innovations – that experience SSHI was less than those exhibiting lower degrees of novelty of innovation. Innovating businesses that engaged in both product and process innovation were more likely to experience SSHI, reflecting the greater depth and diversity of skill required to conduct both types of innovation.

Innovating businesses that sought out skills in the ‘other’ (likely to be mostly trades) ‘engineering’ and ‘product management’ skill categories were more likely to experience SSHI. While a relatively high proportion of businesses seeking ‘information technology’ skills reported experiencing SSHI, the econometric analysis, which provides a better indication of the association between SSHI and a given skill category (independent of the influence of other variates in the model) indicated very little association between SSHI and the ‘information technology’ skill category.Link: Aspects of Skills Shortages and Innovation in Australian Businesses.

4.2.3 COLLABORATION AND OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING INNOVATION IN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES (DIISR)

Synopsis

This research paper presents the results of an econometric investigation into innovation novelty, collaboration and related characteristics in Australian businesses using micro-data from the ABS 2003 Innovation Survey.

Many innovations, especially those of a more complex nature, seem commonly to take place in conjunction with collaboration. The range of skills and knowledge required to successfully carry out innovation often means that an innovating business may be forced to seek complementary skills to those already held in-house. Such a business may seek external skills and experience in one or more of various areas including R & D, systems modification, specialist manufacturing, or branding and marketing.

It could also be expected that collaboration might be more common and more important to 'frontier' or 'creative' innovation (products or processes that are 'new to the world') than 'adaptive' innovation (modification of goods and services or processes already introduced elsewhere but which are 'new to Australia' or 'new to the industry' but not 'new to the world') and purely 'adoptive' innovation (adopting the manufacturing/sale of goods and or services, or the introduction of processes which are 'new to the businesses' in question but which have already been introduced elsewhere).
Link: Collaboration and Other factors Influencing Innovation Novelty in Australian Businesses.

The Innovation Technical Reference Group, set up to provide advice to the ABS on innovation data collection issues, met in the ABS on 4 October 2007. Members from the following key stakeholder organisations participated in the meeting: Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, CSIRO, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Productivity Commission, and the Ministry of Treasury.

Key items discussed in the meeting include:

Contestable Module in the Business Characteristic Survey.

An Overview of the Publication 'Exploration of Innovation and Business Performance Using Linked Firm-Level Data (ABS Cat: No. 1351.0.55.020)'.

Use of the 2003 Innovation CURF (Confidentialised Unit Record File).

Finalisation of Contents for the Business Characteristics Survey (BCS) 2006-07 Form.

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